Buhari meets governors” wives at Aso Rock

President Muhammadu Buhari met with wives of state governors inside the Aso Rock Presidential Villa in Abuja Saturday night. The state first ladies visited Buhari under the auspices of the Northern Governors Wives’ Forum and the Southern Governors Wives’ Forum. The president, according to a statement on Sunday by his wife’s media aide, Sulaiman Haruna, […]

President Muhammadu Buhari met with wives of state governors inside the Aso Rock Presidential Villa in Abuja Saturday night.

The state first ladies visited Buhari under the auspices of the Northern Governors Wives’ Forum and the Southern Governors Wives’ Forum.

The president, according to a statement on Sunday by his wife’s media aide, Sulaiman Haruna, urged governors to support their wives’ humanitarian programmes.

He commended his visitors for carrying out various humanitarian activities, especially on the internally displaced persons and the fight against drug abuse in their respective states.

President Buhari said he would canvass for more moral and financial support for them.

“I appreciate the role you are playing as your work helps in pricking the conscience of the people," the president said.

 He encouraged them to interface with the Central Bank of Nigeria and the Federal Ministry of Agriculture on new and existing opportunities for female farmers and entrepreneurs.

The wife of the president, Aisha Buhari, speaking at the occasion, stressed the need for governors to encourage their wives.

She said more efforts were needed on girl-child education, child abuse as well as women and youth empowerment and health promotion.

“Äs mothers of the states, wives of governors have the ears of women and youths; this is so because they run programmes that directly touch these categories of Nigerians," she said.

Mrs Buhari also called on her husband to support the state governors’ wives.

The chairperson of Northern Governors Wives’ Forum and wife of Bauchi State Governor, Mrs. Hadiza Abubakar, apart from maternal health and girl-child education, the forum also focused on prevention of substance abuse.

Mrs Abubakar said the forum was advocating revival of moribund drug victims’ rehabilitation centres and establishment of new ones.

She described the ban on codeine-containing cough syrups as a major breakthrough.

Also speaking, the chairperson of the Southern Governors Wives’ Forum and wife of Imo State Governor, Nkechi Okorocha, said their activities took a cue from Mrs. Buhari’s Future Assured Programme.

Mrs Okorocha said they focused on fighting cultism, kidnapping, child labour and youth restiveness.

She said the forum had trained 1,000 women in different skills and supported 2,000 school children with educational materials.